The football mass meeting, held in the Union last evening, was remarkable for the enthusiasm shown by the crowd, which filled the Living Room and the adjoining halls. Under the leadership of B. K. Stephenson '06 the football songs were rehearsed and the long and short cheers were tried with telling effect.

Captain Hurley, the first speaker, expressed his appreciation of the support given the team in the Maine game. At the beginning of the season, he said, men enter football work with the enthusiasm and energy bred of the summer vacation. But when the season progresses and the strain of daily and severe practice begins to tell on the men, real and genuine encouragement is needed. You men can give this personally to your friends on the team, and in a body from the cheering section at the games. Make the cheering inspiring and spontaneous, and the team will respond.

Coach Reid said he was not an optimist nor a prophet, and that his view of the present football situation was the real one. Within the past week, he said, I have seen some of the best men on the squad laid up with injuries which will keep them from playing several weeks, and the result is that there is not enough line material to give the backs proper trying out. Although the material is not first class, the spirit is excellent, and it is the spirit which does things. The University must show this same spirit toward the men who play, so that if the team returns beaten, after playing its best, it need not be afraid of adverse criticism from the College.

The team is being coached to play clean football, even if they lose by it. If the football rules are bad they should be changed, but while they remain in force they must be lived up to. When a man plays awkwardly, but does his best, don't laugh at him,--cheer him. Finally, let us play the game savagely and fiercely but cleanly.